When new plasma processes are first put into operation and there is not yet much experience of the new conditions, it is desirable to be able to analyze the circumstances for the occurrence of a particular event and the behavior of the plasma process during the occurrence of the event so that errors can be specifically sought and the process can be developed and improved. This can be accomplished, for example, by recording data relating to the plasma process.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,310 B2 discloses a predictive failure scheme for a power delivery system. The power delivery system includes a plurality of modules that are connected to a system monitor. The system monitor collects data on the operating parameters of each module and environmental parameters. The system monitor analyses the data to define events depending on the parameters. The parameters are then compared with a set of rules to determine whether a warning or a fault indicator should be generated.